Beatrice Rae Parker (McKenzie, Maxey)

Bea, Berta, Bertie is how I have seen her name in different papers.
She was born as Beatrice Rae Parker - 14 November 1880. Born in the city of Pomery, Washington, United States. Pomery is in the south-east part of the state of Washington. Interesting enough not too far from the cities, Clarkston and Lewiston.

Bea at the age of 16.

Bertie is my great-grandmother and was married to Fred McKenzie. He died when my grandmother, (Rodetta) was 14. Bertie remarried Fred's best friend, at his request before he died, to William Simpson Maxey.

Beatrice and Frederick McKenzie on their wedding day.

On January 31, 1900 Bertie and Fred were married, I think in Washington as I do not have a copy of their marriage certificate.
They had two children: Rodetta Freddie McKenzie born 19 Nov 1900 and William Winfield McKenzie born about 1905 in Perze, Idaho.

Bertie and Bill Maxey were happily married for over 30 years!

During her life time she has lived in Washington, Idaho, Canada and California.

She passed on 3 August 1949, in Martinez, California.
She died before I was born, so if you have a story you would like to share, please let me know and I can add it to this blog post.
Thanks for stopping by!

The McKenzie Line

Here is the only picture I have of my great-grandfather, Frederick Neile McKenzie.
It is of his wedding day 31 January 1900. He was married for only 14 years before he passed on. He knew, according to my Aunt Shirley, that he was dying and ask his best friend, William Maxey, to marry my great-grandmother and take care of their two children. One being my grandmother. William Maxey a year later did marry my great-grandmother and they were married for over 40 years. True friendship, wouldn't you say?
Grandpa Fred and William were in the Spanish-American war and then moved up to the state of Washington, I am thinking to work in the mines in Idaho, as the 1900 Census says he  and William were miners in Elk County, Idaho. He and Beatrice Rae Parker were married 31 January 1900.
Here is the information that I found online through military gravesites:

Fred McKenzie was a First Sergant, Company C, 1st Idaho Inf.  On the grave

stone in Washington it said he died on May 12, 1914.  Grave site #1-D-3

Another lady, Julie, wrote to my grandson this information: Fred Neile McKenzie is buried in Orting at the Washington Soldiers Home and Cemetery.
He is listed on findagrave.com
Sgt Fred Neile McKenzie
Birth: Nov., 1866
Santa Cruz County
California, USA
Death: May 14, 1914
Orting, Pierce County, Washington, USA
Spanish-American War United States Army Soldier.
His service was in the Spanish American War, he enlisted at Boise Idaho on 13 May 1898 as a Sargent and was discharged as a 1st Sgt on 25 Sep 1899 in San Francisco, Calif.
He was married to the former Miss Beatrice Rae Parker on the 31st of Jan 1900 and had two children, Rodetta & William.
He passed away at the Washington Soldiers Home in Orting, Pierce Co., Washington on 14 May 1914.
Inscription:
1ST SGT CO C 1 INF SP AM WAR
Burial:
Washington Soldiers Home Cemetery
Orting
Pierce County
Washington, USA
Plot:
Created by: Carolyn Farnum
Record added: Jun 18, 2001
Find A Grave Memorial# 5551300

You gotta love the internet and all the good information that is out there, to help us find our ancestors! Here is a close-up of Fred from the above picture.